When the Toronto Raptors dealt long-time All-Star Kyle Lowry to the Miami Heat, it felt like the Raptors lost more than they have gained. Such is the nature of trades that start a rebuild. However, it seems that Lowry's departure may have helped one particular Raptor: Pascal Siakam.

Fred VanVleet, Lowry's former backcourt partner, explained to Josh Lewenberg of TSN how Lowry's presence on the Raptors probably weighed on Siakam.

“I think what happened was Kyle [Lowry] was such an immovable object, just such a force of who he was in his status as a Hall of Famer, it was like a little tit-for-tat there, even if it was subconscious… It's not something where ‘I don't like this guy' or ‘I'm not passing to him', it's a little nuance that you would never understand unless you played at the highest level.”

When the Raptors handed Siakam a max extension in the summer of 2019, the expectation for the Raptors forward was that he was going to be “the guy” for the team. However, as VanVleet points out, being the number one option on the team was rather difficult because of Lowry's presence. There isn't any beef between Lowry and Siakam, at least on the surface. However, Lowry's status as one of the Raptors' all-time greats, possibly even the greatest, made it difficult for Siakam to fully transition into the lead guy role. How could you take away that spot from the most accomplished player in your franchise's history?

Fred VanVleet's answer is also an insightful look into team dynamics in the NBA. It turns out that the pecking order or hierarchy in the NBA isn't as clear-cut as we think it is. This partly was the reason for Siakam's struggles, according to the Raptors guard.

“… I think for P [Siakam], he was dealing with the expectations on him versus what's actually in the game.”

With Kyle Lowry out of the picture for Toronto, the coast is finally clear for Siakam to take over the team. Time will tell if Pascal Siakam can truly be the alpha leader on the Raptors.